Even after the 2-4 years of intense studying that is required to become a registered nurse, it takes about a year working full-time to feel comfortable in the new leadership position. There is anywhere between 6-12 weeks of orientation with an experienced preceptor, as well as facility-required courses and classes. Nursing school teaches the disease […]
Things nursing school does not teach you — Patient Talk
I would agree with this post I found on what Nursing School does not teach you. I graduated 3 months ago and started my first job as a psychiatric nurse 1 month ago. I am still learning to be a nurse despite the 3 years of intense studying and rotations.
- I am still reluctant making decisions and advocating for my patients. I feel remorse when I am told to give metoprolol or propranolol to a patient with B/P: 103/64 pulse: 63 BPM.
- I am still learning how to manage patients on the unit and it will probably take a year before I can work efficiently. It is hard to keep track of 10-18 patients for doctors and social workers. Each patient have a myriad of psychiatric problems, social issues, and medical issues to keep track of.
- Real time charting is almost impossible on the job. Especially when my facility uses paper charting.
- a good 75% of my work is paper work for patients. Admissions, discharges, charting, legal paper work, reviewing orders, and etc.
- First time I called a doctor to request for an order, they asked me to hand the phone off to a more experienced nurse because he knew I was a New Grad.
- After the first week of working as a psychiatric nurse, I learned I have to extremely flexible and resourceful to be successful.
- You have to have a ton of patients in psychiatric nursing and at the same time know when to put your foot down or draw boundaries for patients.
- Patients are unpredictable in psyc nursing and constant vigilance is required for the safety of my patients and myself.
Will post more blogs about my experience in nursing.
